


A Yultetide Proposition

by DreamingOfVenus



Series: DC & Marvel Reader-Insert Stories [3]
Category: Marvel (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Asgard (Marvel), Eventual Romance, F/M, Pranks and Practical Jokes, Slow Burn, Yuletide
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:28:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28249893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreamingOfVenus/pseuds/DreamingOfVenus
Summary: As a servant to the royal family of Asgard, it is your job to help prepare for King Odin's favorite yearly festival, Yuletide.However, what is unusual about this year's preparations is that the god of mischief has taken a sudden interest in your presence—at least enough to make him trust you with a prank-filled proposition. What happens when you accept Loki's sudden proposition? Read to find out.
Relationships: Loki (Marvel)/Reader
Series: DC & Marvel Reader-Insert Stories [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2068761
Comments: 11
Kudos: 25





	1. Right Time, Wrong Place

**Author's Note:**

> Note 1: Because I know some people can be really picky with how a character is described, I said Loki's eyes were blue-green because, in the comics, they were originally green, whereas, in the films, they've been blue (although they appear green in some shots). However, I will be using Loki's hair color from the films because I prefer the black hair for Loki over his original blonde hair in the comics.
> 
> Note 2: This story set before the first Thor movie, when Loki, his adoptive parents, and Thor were all on good terms.

The doors leading out of the servant's quarters closed with a resounding bang as you stepped forward into the main hall of valaskjalf, which was decorated for the Yuletide feast. Shimmering tapestries dangled from the ceiling, while various wreaths adorned the walls. Everything would seem normal for this time of year to those with an unobservant eye or those who did not inhabit the great Asgardian castle. But, as someone who has been a faithful servant to the king and queen of Asgard since you were a young teen, you knew that the main hall was not as it should be. For starters, Loki—or as you liked to call him, the royal pain in the ass—was sitting on his father's throne. Due to his laidback posture upon Odin's royal seat, you concluded that the king and queen must be a great deal away. 

"Oh no," you mumbled to yourself, weaving between the pillars as quietly as possible to avoid drawing Loki's attention. But, like most things that involve the god of mischief, your plan did not go as planned.  


Before you could reach the final pair of pillars that sat on either side of the throne room's entryway, Loki's honey-coated voice boomed out. 

"Going so soon?"

_ Here we go. _

You sighed and turned around, your eyes landing on the spectacle that was Loki. Dressed in a way that would make most handmaids blush, the robe-clad god had his back against one of the arms of the golden throne while his legs were draped across the other. His gaze drifted away from his slender fingers to look at you.  


"Did you really plan on leaving without saying 'good afternoon, your majesty,' or at least offering me a bite to eat?"

You crossed your arms over your chest. 

"Why, yes, I did."

Loki disappeared from his position on the throne, opting to appear next to the pillar to the right of you. He smiled, leaning his slender body against it. 

"How uncouth of you."

"I'm sure King Odin would say the same thing about you if he saw you warming his throne in your bathrobe."

Loki's blue-green eyes flickered with mischief, his tongue peeking out to wet his lips.

"Well, I suppose it's a good thing you won't be telling him then, right? Now, where were you heading off to in such a hurry?"

You produced a crumpled piece of paper from one of your pockets, holding in between your [s/c] fingers.

"Shopping for the feast tonight."

"Hmm, sounds like fun," Loki said dryly, brushing off a single dust particle that hand landed on his shoulder. "But I think I have something even better for you to do."

"I doubt it," you said, turning to continue out of the throne room. Before you could walk too far, Loki appeared in front of you once more, blocking your path. You wanted to roll your eyes but held back, choosing instead to humor Loki.

"You're not going to at least hear me out? You might miss out on a fantastic opportunity."

"You? Providing fantastic opportunities instead of taking advantage of them? Well, I guess I owe some people some money; I just lost a bet."

Loki laughed before his gleeful manner took on a more serious look.

"I'm serious, [Y/N]. I have a proposition for you."

"You can't be."

He sauntered towards you, causing you to corner yourself against a nearby pillar. His arm braced above your head as he leaned in to whisper,

"How can you be so sure that I'm not serious? I'm a man that's full of surprises."

A faint blush painted your cheeks as you looked into the man's piercing eyes. You shook yourself out of your daze, not letting the man's alluring stare leave you off your guard. The god was known for these sorts of games, and you would not play into them. Ducking under his arm, you stepped away from him.

"You're not as surprising as you might like to think you are, Loki."

The man shrugged, disappearing behind the pillar he had previously cornered you against.

"How about now?"

You jumped, turning around to see Loki standing behind you. 

"Would you quit doing that!"

"Only if you at least hear me out," he teased.

You huffed, looking at the list. On the one hand, you told the chef that you would be returning with the required ingredients shortly, and boy was there a lot of ingredients you needed to pick up. On the other hand, Loki would most likely follow you throughout the market if you refused to hear him out now and would ultimately slow you down while you tried to perform this task. The sooner you performed your daily tasks, the sooner you could go home. The sooner you went home, the sooner you could enjoy Yuletide with your friends and family. The decision here was simple; you would hear Loki out. Not because you thought his proposition would be worthwhile, but because it would get the god out of your hair.

_Irksome bastard._

"Fine," you acquiesced. "What do you have in mind?"

Loki gave you a toothy grin, tucking a stray strange of midnight behind his ear. "That wasn't so hard, was it? Now, follow me into the garden—my parents and the guards will be returning shortly, and they must not know about the plan."

 _ What in the world were you about to hear? _ You pondered as the roguish man lead you away. 

* * *

"You can't be serious," you asked the laughing god incredulously.

"You've said that multiple times, [Y/N]. You do know there are other words that are synonymous with 'serious,' right?"

You started at Loki blankly, resisting the desire to slap the smug look off of his face.

"You're really condescending for a guy that's asking for help."

"And you're taking a long time answering my proposal for a woman who was supposedly in a rush."

You brought your left hand up to your head and began rubbing your forehead.

"Let me get this straight; you want me to help you execute a series of pranks on not only the KING OF ASGARD but his wife and his other son as well?"

Loki clapped slowly, pacing around the fountain that laid in the center of the garden. "Well done, well done, you are capable of forming an overarching analysis based on a few key principles I had mentioned throughout our conversation. Yes, that is the plan. Are you in or out? I mean, it does seem more entertaining than the simple grocery run the kitchen staff had assigned to you."

What you had gathered from the god's rant was that he was not only vexatious but also suicidal. He would have to be if he wanted to commit a prank on the most powerful man in Asgard during his favorite festival.

"What do I get out of this plan if I do decide to help you?"

"I'll make sure all of the ingredients you were tasked with retrieving are given to the cooks right away, so you won't have to worry about that while we're staging our pranks. I might also be able to pull some strings and change your schedule for the rest of Yuletide. That way, you can spend more time with your family."

"That is if Odin doesn't have my head first."

"He won't have your head because he won't know about your involvement."

There was a pregnant pause between you and Loki as you glanced at your family's house, which lay on the outskirts of valaskjalf grounds.

"So," Loki continued, rolling his hand in a coaxing manner. "Are you in or out? Time is ticking, and these pranks won't perform themselves."

"One more thing—why ask me? There are tons of other servants you could've asked to help you out with your juvenile plan, so why me?"

"Simple; you were in the right place at the right time."

_More like in the wrong place at the wrong time._

You exhaled, your eyes meeting Loki's in an affirmative stare.

"Alright, Loki—we have a deal."

A shit-eating grin spread across the man's face, his canines glistening in the Asgard sun. 

"I promise you won't regret this."


	2. Prank 1: The Golden Comb

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I included a few Norse terms in this chapter, so I'll cite them here.  
> \- Mormor: grandmother in Norwegian—specifically, your mother's mother.  
> \- Eldhúsfífl: which basically means someone who is lazy and sits by the fire all day.

"My mother will be the easiest to prank, so we shall start with her."

"I still can't believe you're pranking your mother, who is one of the sweetest women in all of Asgard."

"And I still can't believe you find this entire scenario to be so incredulous."

No matter how reluctant you were about pulling pranks on the most powerful people in Asgard, Loki had indeed kept his end of the bargain. Once you had ended your discussion with Loki the other day, you returned to the kitchen to find that all the ingredients you were tasked with retrieving had been delivered and placed upon the kitchen's central counter. On top of that, you received word that you didn't have to work a single hour on Yule, which was great news, as you and your brother thought this might be your grandmother's last Yule, so spending time with her was essential. Loki fulfilled his end of the bargain, and you were able to experience five days of blissful peace—until Loki called upon you at an ungodly hour this morning to carry out your end of the deal. 

Now here you were, walking down an abandoned corridor—watching Loki's dexterous hands dig through a bag as he walked beside you. The god still hadn't told you what kind of prank he had in store for his mother. 

"So, what prank do you plan to pull on Queen Frigga?"

Loki sighed, his gaze drifting from the bag he was sifting through towards you. 

"Patience, little dove, I'll tell you everything in a moment."

Little dove? That was the nickname your grandmother had given you when you were a babe, a fact that the slick god probably knew about. No matter how hard you wanted to respond to Loki's patronizing comment, you bit your tongue. Loki was the kind of guy that could read someone's biggest pet peeves and use it against them, all for the sake of a good ole laugh. 

Loki halted at the junction of two hallways, turning around to show you what he had retrieved from his bag. A golden comb situated between two of Loki's thin fingers, glistening in the sunlight that filtered through one of the ornate glass windows. 

"A comb? Really?"

"This isn't just any comb; it's a comb coated in a clear liquid—a liquid that will dye Frigga's hair deep blue. I know how much my mother _loves_ the color blue, and since it is an appropriate color for the Yuletide season, I figured I would give her hair a bit of a makeover."  


Your eyes widened. "Dye your mother's hair? Are you nuts? That could seriously damage your mother's self-esteem, and—"

"Now, now," Loki interrupted. "These are pranks, after all. No harm, no foul. Besides, the dye only lasts until the morning of the Yule feast. It doesn't actually change the color of her hair; it only appears that way. It's all just an illusion."

_ Well, at least that was a bit better. _

You berated your thoughts. A bit better? The god was trying to prank his mother during one of the most sacred times of the year! There was no "better" in this scenario. 

...The scenario that you had inevitably involved yourself in.  


_ I'm as much at fault here as he is. _

Pushing your judgments to the side, you focused on the task at hand.  


"So, how are we gonna trick Frigga into using the comb?"

Loki revealed his pearly whites in a proud smile. "My oh my, you are immersing yourself in this. However, tricking my mother into doing something comes AFTER the object of our prank has been placed in her room. That's where you come in."

Two guards suddenly rounded the corner, halting your response. You and Loki gave them polite nods before turning your attention back to one another.

You scoffed, lowering your voice. "Oh, so what? I'm supposed to waltz up to your mother's room, knock on the door, and declare, 'dear Lady Frigga, may I please come in? Your son and I do so hope to play a prank on you, but first, you must use this deceivingly beautiful comb that we are so graciously giving to you. Here, use it now, before Yuletide is over.' Is that how I'm supposed to do it, eh?"

With your rant over, the trickster continued. "You finished?"

You blushed. "Yeah, yeah, I guess so."

"Great, great. So here's the plan."

* * *

"Guards, guards! There's been an attack in the marketplace, and the troops stationed there need extra help. Follow me!" Loki exclaimed to the two guards stationed in front of Frigga's quarters.

_ Does he really think they're gonna believe that? _

As soon as the doubtful thought crossed your mind, it was assuaged as the men followed Loki without hesitation.  


_ Sometimes I forget I'm dealing with a god that excels in trickery.  _

Crouching for extra measure, you cautiously proceeded towards the now abandoned room.  


Before Loki had teleported away from you to start the prank, he mentioned that he wanted to start at this specific hour because his mother and father were usually away in the bathing house. And since Thor usually started his Yuletide mornings with friends, neither you nor Loki would have a problem with encountering him on valaskjalf grounds. 

Loki had assured you that he had planned the details of this prank down to the T, so your sneaking into Frigga's quarters wouldn't set off any alarms or anything like that. Still, you wanted to keep your eyes open to ensure nothing unexpected occurred. 

_ The day I fully trust that slippery eel is the day I die. _

Approaching the gigantic doors that led to the queen's private chambers, you pushed them open, the resounding squeak sounding a million times louder due to the silence that encompassed your quivering frame. What lay beyond those towering slabs of wood was a room you could only conjure in your dreams. 

Ornate, gold-encrusted columns lined the room, which was decorated with the finest furniture in the realm of Asgard. Curtains adorning the walls beside the porch billowed as a brisk winter breeze settled in the queen's room. Everywhere you looked, gold blinded your [e/c] eyes. 

_ There's a lot of gold in this room for a woman that supposedly loves blue so much. _

Navigating through the rows of beautiful furniture, you came across the nightstand Loki had told you about during his tirade about the plan. On top of the table was an opal-colored bristle brush, which contained long strands of the queen's red hair. Picking up the brush, you replaced it with the golden comb and a note Loki had attached to it. Feeling as if a giant burden had been lifted off of your shoulder, you stepped away from the nightstand.  


_ Thank god that's over.  _

As you approached the doors, a framed scroll hanging above the queen's dresser caught your eye. The tiny crystals within the frame reflected flickers of light into your eyes, making you even more curious about the contents of the scroll. Throwing caution to the wind, you decided to read the scroll.  


> 'Dear Mother, 
> 
> As I spend time away from you, father, and Thor, I realize just how much I neglect to thank you for all—'

_ Is Loki kind? Well, that's a shock.  _

Before you could read any further, a clammy hand landed on your bare shoulder. 

"Of all the people of the valaskjalf staff to be nosey, I certainly wasn't expecting you."

You flinched so harshly you felt as if you jumped out of your skin.

"Loki! By Odin's beard, you can't just—"

"Do you wish to be caught? No? Then follow me."

The midnight-haired man grabbed your right hand, leading you quickly out of Frigga's room and down the twisting corridors. 

"So, how did it go?" Loki inquired, leading you down one of the many halls.  


"I was able to put the comb where you asked me to put it, so it went alright."

"Excellent," he responded, as the two of you rounded another corner.  


After steering through what seemed like a labyrinth of hallways, the two of you ended up in the garden, as you had on the night Loki revealed his scheme to you. Once the two of you settled on a bench near one of the many rose bushes, you spoke up. 

"I have a question."

"I have an answer."

You glared at the lightly armored man. He was looking for you to speak to him with some sort of tact required of those who were speaking to their 'betters,' but that wasn't gonna happen. You decided to speak more bluntly.

"Your mom seems to really care about you. I mean, she even hung up a letter you sent to her while you were away. So, why do you feel the need to pull a prank on her, or anyone at all, for that matter?"

"Maybe pranking people is how I show them I care about them."

You snorted. "I hope you don't plan on wooing a girl any time soon if that's the tactic you plan on using."

Loki leaned over, his Helheim-like breath rolling over your ear, "I don't think I need any help in the art of wooing maidens such as yourself."

You gasped, standing up and backing away from the devilish god. You could tell that your face was beet red—not only due to the heat pooling in your cheeks but by the guffaw that erupted from Loki's thin lips. His easy and relaxed demeanor suddenly changed to one of pride. 

"You handmaidens are all the same. A few honeyed words and you melt into a puddle at my feet."  


"I'm not melting at your words, your MaJeStY—I'm shocked by your gall. We made an agreement, and since you delivered on your end, I plan to see it through to the end, but this will be the LAST time I work with you—got it?"

"I admire your honesty, [Y/N], but that's not how being a servant works."

Loki got up from his seated position and passed you, walking back towards the castle. 

"I'll pick you up at the same time tomorrow. I'm sure you can see your way out."

* * *

"He's contemptible, Bjorn, he's truly contemptible!"

You entered your house with a thundering shout, placing your grandmother's medicinal herbs on the table as you kick your boots off by the door.

"Are you just now discovering this, [Y/N]? Huh, I thought you were smarter than that."

You scowled at your brother, who was tending to the bird roasting over the fire.

"I already have one jackass to deal with right now, Bjorn. Can you not be another one?"

"You're much too pretty for a look like that, little dove. Please, sit."

"Mormor!"

You rushed over to your grandmother's limping frame as she left the doorway, coughing into the crux of her thin elbow.

"Do you need help? Has Bjorn the eldhúsfífl neglected you today?" You shot your brother a mischievous grin.

"HEY!" He yelled, pointing at you with the fire iron. "Don't call me that! And that smile! Hanging out with Loki has already affected your demeanor."

"Quiet, both of you. Bjorn, thank you for all the hard work today. Now please, finish up the dinner?"

The young man mumbled to himself as he did what the woman requested, leaving your grandmother and you to talk alone.

"So, how was day one of repaying Loki?"

You rolled your eyes. "Don't even get me started."

Your grandmother, who was now sitting on the stool beside you, placed her right hand over your left hand.

"However annoying you may feel him to be, just remember, he allowed you to take Yule off—something you haven't done in who knows how long."

You looked at the older woman in a disbelieving fashion. "Are you actually sticking up for Loki? You know, the man who you've cited as a good for nothing leech and a witless teat-sucker."

Your mormor giggled at the last remark, feebly patting your hand. "Not sticking up for him, just providing you with an alternative outlook."

You rolled your eyes.

"Whatever you say, mormor."


	3. Prank 2: Replacing Mjölnir

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note 1: My internet has been TERRIBLE these past few days, so I'm uploading these chapters later than expected, as Jan 1st is the end of 2020 Yuletide, and I was hoping to publish the last chapter today. Whoops. Sorry, everyone! I hope you'll enjoy the story finale anyway, even if it does come out after Yuletide is over. 
> 
> Note 2: The large cat references Norse mythology, in which two large cats pull Freya's chariot. I don't know either cat's original name, so I just used a random name.
> 
> Note 3: I included a few Norse terms in this chapter, so I'll cite them here.  
> \- Mormor: grandmother in Norwegian—specifically, your mother's mother.  
> \- Faen i helvete: "the devil in hell," used as goddammit.  
> \- Bacraut: asshole

"Hey, [Y/N]—Hey, [Y/N]"

Bjorn shook your left shoulder incessantly, causing you to shrug his hand off and let out a sleepy grunt of refusal. 

"Come on, wake up. I think there's something you'll want to see."

"The only thing I want to see right now is the back of my eyelids."

Bjorn sighed, moving away from your prone position. You grabbed the blanket that had moved down your frame, intending to fall back into sleep's welcoming embrace.

_Finally, some peace and quiet._

Last night had felt longer than usual, even for a Yuletide night. You had spent most of the night talking to your grandmother after dinner and tending to the various things she needed help with. It was certainly one of her worse nights, considering you had woken up more than five times during the night to take care of her when she had her coughing fits. The unpredictably short bursts of sleep had you feeling exhausted, and all you wanted to do was sleep.  


"I didn't want to do this, but..."  


Bjorn opened the crimson curtain used to block out the morning light, allowing blinding rays to shine down on your face. Shaking your head, you sat up, glaring at your brother. 

"Do you know how little sleep I got last night? Because—"

"Loki's here. He's talking to mormor right now."

Your blanket, which had previously been draped over your shoulders, slid to the floor as you got out of bed and raced to the closet. Browsing through the hanging garments, you chose your outfit, intent on getting Loki away from your grandmother as soon as possible. The last thing you needed to worry about right now was Loki blabbering about the pranks you were pulling on various members of his family. If your grandma found out, she would be mortified and beyond disappointed. 

"Thanks, Bjorn. I'll be out in a second."

After dressing in your servant's uniform, you exited your room and headed out into the living area. You were greeted by the sight of Loki and your grandmother having an idle conversation on the sofa, pleasant smiles on both of their faces. 

"Good morning, mormor."

Your eyes flicked to Loki. "Loki."

He uncrossed his legs and stood up, giving you a gesture to head to the door. 

"You ready to go?"

"Sure am. The sooner, the better. Have a good day, mormor; let Bjorn know if you need anything while I'm gone."

With the goodbyes out of the way, you and Loki left your house and headed to valaskjalf. Taking the route through the marketplace, the two of you weaved in and out of the amassing crowds, which were making final preparations for the Yuletide feast. You trailed behind Loki, who was speeding ahead at a pace you found hard to keep up with. 

"What did you tell her?"

"Nothing you need to worry your pretty little head about."

You barely dodged an Asgardian merchant who was plowing through the crowd after someone, causing you to trail even further behind Loki. 

"I think I have the right to know, considering she's my grandmother."

Loki suddenly appeared next to you, obviously irritated by your excessive distance from him. Startled Asgardians fled the area, giving the two of you enough space and quiet to talk. 

"Why are you walking in such a slow fashion? We have a prank to pull, remember?"

Grabbing your right hand in his, he teleported the both of you inside the main hall of valaskjalf. 

"You've been able to teleport someone with you this whole time? Why haven't we been doing that then?"

Loki gave you a wolfish grin, letting go of your hand. "Because that takes away some of the fun aspects of pulling a prank, such as sneaking around. I only teleported you with me for the sake of time. Now, shall we discuss the plan?"

"I'm all ears."

"Right. Today, we'll be replacing Mjölnir."

You examined Loki's countenance for a moment, believing that the god of mischief was joking. Due to the serious look in his eyes, however, you knew this wasn't the case.

"Right, so I guess you really do have a deathwish? I mean, touching Thor's hammer without his permission is tantamount to asking him to kill you. Plus, I don't even think anyone besides Thor can touch it, much less carry it."

He smiled and let out an authentic chortle, summoning a batch of fluttering butterflies in your stomach momentarily. He began to pace back and forth in front of you. 

"Both your knowledge of the situation and Thor's hammer is flawed. We'll be making Mjölnir invisible for a period of time, and enchanting another, sillier, object to look like Mjölnir. That way, when Thor raises what he believes to be his trusty hammer at the feast, it's true form will be revealed, giving both Thor and the audience quite a shock."

You hated to admit it, but the plan did sound a bit humorous. Or was Loki's weird sense of humor just rubbing off on you?

"Alright, so what object will you be enchanting to look like Thor's hammer?"

"That's where you come in. I'll do the enchanting and planting of the object in Thor's bedchamber, but I want you to choose the object. The only catch is that the object cannot be something that will be hard to miss, such as one of the miniature statues located on valaskjalf premises."

_ Well, no shit.  _

"When do you want to regroup?"  


The god paused in his steps to ponder for a moment before resuming his sentence and his pacing. 

"Does an hour give you enough time?"

Loki's response wasn't really a question; it was a statement. The god of mischief rarely asked how people felt about various situations.

"One hour, got it."

He smiled. "Now you're catching on. Let's meet in the garden in an hour. I can't wait to see what you find.

* * *

After exploring most of the rooms that were always open to servants, such as the library and the resting quarters, you found yourself in the kitchen. Although the room was usually bustling with energy, it was quiet now, most likely due to the fact that breakfast had ended over two hours ago, and the remaining food had already been cleaned up. Now the vacant room was yours to explore, and you only had thirty minutes left to do it.

_Come on, there's gotta be something suitable in here._

You opened the cabinets that lined every wall of the kitchen, the doors creaking open and slamming shut as you perused through their contents. The once silent kitchen was filled with cacophonous sounds once again, drawing the attention of your fellow servant and friend, Snefrid.

"[Y/N]?"

You slammed the cabinet you were going through shut, turning around and leaning up against it.

"Oh, hey, Snefrid."

"Is something wrong? You're making an awful lot of noise in here."

_Gotta think of something, gotta think of something._

"I was cleaning Lord Loki's room a few minutes ago when he suddenly came back. He asked me to fetch him some, um, fruit. Do you know if someone picked up some batches of fruit from the marketplace recently?"

Snefrid eyed you suspiciously before crossing her arms over her chest and leaning against the countertop beside the door. "Hey, I was supposed to clean Loki's room today. Did you forget to read the schedule?"

_Faen i helvete_

You scratched your head. "Oh, really? Well, I must've read the wrong line, haha, sorry."

"Anyways, the newest shipment of fruit is in the cabinet down next to my feet. However, I don't think I saw your name on the schedule for today, and if you don't have to work, you shouldn't, especially due to your grandma Karina's illness. Do you want me to take some fruit to Loki's room for you?"

You shook your head vehemently.

"No, no, truly, it's ok. Loki appeared to be a bit grumpy today, so it's probably best if he doesn't receive a guest he isn't expecting. We all know how childish Loki can be at times, right?"

_By Odin, I hope Loki isn't eavesdropping in on this conversation._

The worried expression painted on Snefrid's face evaporated, replaced by one of blithe understanding.

"I know what you mean, haha. Alright, well, take the rest of the day off after you deliver the fruit, will ya? If the boss finds out you were here even though you weren't scheduled to work today, he'll be super upset."

You nodded your head as a sign of assent of Snefrid's wisdom as she turned around to leave the kitchen. After she departed, you dived towards the cabinet that contained the new shipment of fruit, looking for a piece of fruit that you found suitable for Loki's plan. As soon as you opened the door, your [e/c] eyes landed on a slightly ripe banana.

_Perfect._

Grabbing the delectable yellow and brown fruit, you sped towards the exit. As half of your body was through the doorway, something caught your attention out of the corner of your eye. There Loki was, leaning against the wall outside of the kitchen instead of meeting you in the garden as he promised. Truly, why were you shocked anymore? Loki held up a finger before you could complain.

"You seriously need to learn to lie better. I'm surprised your friend even fell for it," he chastised.

"Thanks, but lying isn't the sort of thing I'd like to get in the practice of doing. Here's the object I picked out."

You handed the god the banana.

"Outstanding."

"You're welcome," you said as you turned around to leave.

"Where are you going?"

"I thought you said you would handle the rest?"

"I will," Loki assured you, "but I thought you might like to see how I enchant items."

You blinked in astonishment.

"Are you serious?"

"Of course. I do like to tease people from time to time, but I try not to tease people when I'm on a tight schedule, so I'm completely serious at the moment. Would you like to see?"

What was with him? Loki's opinion and attitude towards you seemed to be in constant change. One moment he was playfully flirting with you, and in the blink of an eye, he was barely tolerating you. Do all gods act so wishy-washy, or was Loki just an anomaly? You couldn't be sure, as you had never gotten close to any god before. However, if Loki offered you a bit of insight into his powers, you certainly wouldn't look this gift horse in the mouth.

"Um, sure? Thanks."

The god shook his head, walking towards his private quarters with you in tow.

Even though you had lied to Snefrid about being in Loki's bedchamber to clean it, you had never set foot in the god of mischief's room before. Your usual duties around valaskjalf included fetching various food supplies from the marketplace for the kitchen staff, cleaning the bathing house (a job every servant despised), and occasionally cleaning Thor's bedroom. In fact, the only time you usually interacted with Loki was during the various seasonal festivals throughout the year, when you were required to work for at least an hour during the festival's main feast. So, not only did this opportunity allow you to witness some of Loki's powers, but you would also be able to see his bedroom. 

_ I wonder what his room looks like.  _

You didn't have to wonder for long, however, as you and Loki soon arrived in front of the enormous doors leading into his quarters.  


"This is where the magic happens," Loki purred suggestively, slowly opening the doors. 

You were greeted by the sight of a darkened room sparsely lit by golden torches that housed soft green flames. Black and green tapestries shrouded the windows on the right side of his wall, with his large king-sized bed placed along the left wall. His room was ornately decorated, just as Frigga's room had been—however, there was one key difference that you were quick to spot. A gigantic, bluish-gray cat was curled up at the base of the god's bed. You gasped in surprise as the cat lifted its head. 

"Don't mind Fróthi. He won't attack unless my mother or I command him to."  


Loki bent down to pet Fróthi before approaching a table on the far side of the room. The table was covered in a multitude of ingredients unknown to you. Some of the ingredients looked like herbs that you were simply unfamiliar with, while others looked like additives you wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole. Loki opened one of the table's drawers and pulled out a scroll. While he was glancing over it, you decided to pet the cat. It purred into your touch, nudging your hand to encourage you to pet harder.  After a few minutes of reviewing whatever was written on the parchment, Loki turned around to get your attention. 

"Are you ready?"

You broke your attention away from the purring cat, looking excitedly upon the performance that was about to commence.

Once Loki had your rapt attention, his right hand performed minicircles in the air around the banana, which was positioned in his left hand. The air took on a greenish glow as the appearance of the banana began to change. Slowly but surely, the ripe fruit began to take on the appearance of Mjölnir. Your eyes were aglow with a sense of awe you had not experienced in quite a while, and the look on Loki's face showed that he could tell. Once the transformation was complete, you addressed the talented god. 

"Wow."

"Amazing, isn't it? How one thing can keep its chemical properties intact while drastically changing its physical properties. Queen Frigga always says that's one of the most enchanting aspects of magic, and I would have to agree with her assessment."

The mutual appreciation you two shared for magic caused a peaceful silence to envelop the room, leaving both of you to stare into each other's eyes for a brief moment. That brief moment was shattered after Loki realized the amount of time that had passed and ushered you out of his chambers. 

"Too much time has passed, and I need to quickly place this in Thor's room and enchant the actual Mjölnir before Thor returns. I'll meet you at your house tomorrow morning."

Before you could say any sort of farewell, the trickster teleported away, leaving you alone in the halls of valaskjalf. 

* * *

You entered your house in an unusually silent manner, kicking off your shoes in the normal place before sitting down at the table.

"Hey, [Y/N]," Bjorn said, tending to the food above the fire. "How was Loki today? Was he his usual bacraut self?"

"Actually, he was acting unusually kind today."

Your grandmother entered the room slowly, smiling at you as she made her way to the table.

"Hello, little dove. What did you do for Loki today?"

Bjorn brought the pot of stew that had been bubbling above the fireplace to the table before heading to the kitchen to fetch some bowls. 

"He just had me run a few errands for him."

"Interesting."

Bjorn returned swiftly with three bowls stacked on top of one another, placing them down in their proper places before doling out the soup with a ladle. The three of you chattered about the various activities everyone participated in until the amount of soup in each bowl was down to a few drops. Seeing as how his food had been devoured, Bjorn sped off to avoid dishwashing duty. His departure left you and your grandmother alone—creating the perfect opportunity for you to ask a question that had been on your mind all day. 

"Mormor, what did you and Loki discuss this morning?"

Your grandma smiled as she rested her spoon in her bowl.

"Nothing you need to worry your pretty little head about."


	4. Prank 3: The Unknown Machination

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note 1: I'm terribly sorry for posting this chapter so late. I know it's way after Yuletide, but I just haven't had the time to write as much. However, I want to see this story through the end, so...  
> Note 2: Huginn and Muninn are Odin's ravens from Norse mythology who bring the all-seeing God news from the various realms.  
> Note 3: Sleipnir is Odin's eight-legged horse from Norse mythology.

"Are you ready to execute the final preparations for our series of pranks?"

"Of course. What's your plan?"

Although you were glad the sneaky escapades around valaskjalf would come to an end, you were a bit sad to conclude your daily visits with Loki. Sure, Loki was probably using you since your helping hand made his pranks more convenient, but you still enjoyed your time with him. From afar, the trickster god appeared to be nothing more than a pompous ass. But upon closer inspection, there appeared to be a bit more to his personality, especially when it came to his passion for magic. He was still a pompous ass, just not as much of one as you had expected.

In case this was to be the last day you and Loki hung out in a manner that wasn't completely tied to your servantly responsibilities, you were determined to have a good time.

_Hopefully, today's prank won't be too complicated._

"Nothing too complex, I just need you to deliver a message to my father's ravens, Huginn and Muninn. I need them to know my plans for the feast, so they're not surprised."

You shook your head in confusion.

"Deliver a message to—huh? Ravens?"

"Did I stutter?"

"No, I'm just...curious as to how I'm supposed to deliver a message to ravens and have them actually understand it. I've heard of ravens delivering messages but never reading and understanding them."

Loki laughed, shrugging his shoulders. 

"This is King Odin we're talking about, [Y/N]. Do you really think he would own any run-of-the-mill ravens?"

"I guess not."

Loki placed a small scroll in the palm of your hand.

"Make sure this gets to them without anyone noticing. The ravens are usually kept on a perch outside of the stables where Sleipnir is kept—well, when they're not scouting for Odin, that is. But since Odin hasn't attended his daily duties yet, I'm sure they'll still be on their perch. Oh, and before I forget,"

Loki clasped your left hand in his hands, closing it around the scroll. A cold sensation coursed through your veins at the contact until the god released your hands and backed away. Opening your hand once more, you discovered the scroll had shrunken in size. 

"We can't have anyone else reading it now, can we?" He winked, walking away from you and towards the entrance to the main hall.  "The stables are on the western edge of this garden. You can't miss it. Meet me here once you've done that."

_ Western edge; got it. _

Walking away from the center of the garden, you wound your way through the various hedges that occupied the sprawling slice of paradise. Beams of sunlight shone down upon the variety of flowers surrounding you, their enthralling beauty almost distracting you from the task at hand. The wind whipped your hair as you continued down the path leading towards the stables, a part of the castle you had never visited before.

You imagined an excessively large, glistening building—a structure that was just as elegant as the rest of valaskjalf because Odin's beasts deserved no less. There would be a plethora of flora that would mirror the magnificence of the stables and the beauty of the creatures that lay within. If the stables did live up to the image you had conjured in your mind's eye, it was a wonder that Loki didn't mention any guards that might be lying in wait for you or any other troublemakers. Or maybe your fanciful delusions gave the all-seeing god too much credit. 

When you finally arrived at the stables, you realized your imagination hadn't been too far off. Besides the stacks of hay resting next to the brilliantly shining stables was a wooden perch, where two dark ravens were patiently awaiting their loving owner's commands.

_That has to be Huginn and Muninn. I mean, how many ravens could Odin possibly have?_

Approaching the perch, you marveled at the two beautiful birds that sat atop it. Their inky feathers had a plum hue to them when exposed to direct sunlight, which the birds proudly showed off as they adjusted their wings. Both ravens cocked their heads to the side and blinked rapidly when they finally realized you were approaching them. Before you could hand the birds the scroll Loki had provided you with, you were taken aback as one began to caw.

"You're not Odin," said one.

"Why, of course not, Muninn. She's one of his servants. Look at how she's dressed."

You were so shocked by the fact that the ravens were speaking that Huginn's insult went right over your head.

Muninn shook his head at your silence, blinking once more before hopping forward a bit to get closer to you.

"Have you come to us as a favor to Odin?"

"Or have you gotten yourself lost in this splendid garden," Huginn butted in.

Shaking yourself out of your disbelief, you answered the duo's question.

"Actually, I've come to deliver a note from Lord Loki."

Without warning, Muninn flew onto your shoulder, causing you to let out a little yelp. He motioned towards the hand you were using to conceal the scroll.

"Well, let's see it."

Placing the minuscule note in between your fingers, you gave it to the raven, who took it from you with his beak before flying back to the perch and unrolling it. Uncharacteristically human-like hums and sighs came from the birds as they reviewed Loki's parchment, leaving you to awkwardly glance from side to side to ensure nobody was coming.

_Talking to birds...I have sunk to a new low._

When the birds were done reading the note, they shook their heads in affirmation towards one another before turning to you once more to speak.

"Excellent," Huginn said. "You may be dismissed."

"That's it? There was nothing in there about me having to do anything else?"

As Muninn parted his beak to speak, a thunderous voice sliced through the peaceful morning air, catching the attention of the two ravens. Ignoring your question completely, the two birds flew towards the main hall of valaskjalf. Waves of fear flooded into your chest, your pulse steadily increasing. That booming voice didn't sound like a joyous one, and since you couldn't understand what the voice had said, you were afraid that someone had discovered the pranks Loki and you had been planning. Ignoring all sense of servantly decorum, you fled. 

You speedily walked through the rows of shrubs that filled the garden, desperately trying to reach the spot you were supposed to meet Loki. Odin was a kind God but had no patience for nonsense. If he discovered the pranks you and Loki have been planning, especially during his favorite time of the year, you were sure you would not be able to rely on his sense of kindness for mercy. Tears welled in your eyes as you thought about all of the possibilities that awaited for you if Odin did find out what you and Loki had been up to you. 

_ Why did I ever agree to this? _

Because you were constantly looking behind you to make sure nobody was trailing you, you failed to notice that Loki suddenly teleported in front of you. You and he collided, taking both you and him by surprise as you both tumbled to the ground. Once you realized what you had done, you scrambled backward, fearful that your failure of the task Loki had assigned you on top of your collision would send the ill-tempered god over the edge. Instead, you were greeted by a slowly fading smile on the trickster god's face as he realized you were crying. 

Loki stood up, offering you a hand to help you do the same. Once you had joined him in standing, he addressed you.  


"What could possibly be wrong?" Loki asked, using a thumb to brush one of your cheek-bound tears away. 

You huffed in bewilderment. "Oh, I don't know! Just the fact that our little plan has been discovered and that Odin will arrive any minute to flay us alive."

Loki's eyes widened. "You were found out? How?"

"I'm not sure! I did everything you said! All I know is that some voice in the sky wants me dead!"

Loki let out a chain of mirth-filled chuckles before letting out a loud guffaw. The tear he had removed from your cheek seemed to summon in the wells of his eyes due to how hard he was laughing. 

"My oh my, you take everything so seriously. That was only Odin's call to summon Huginn and Muninn, nothing more. "

The horror slowly ebbed away from your countenance as a sensation akin to anger began to take over.  


"Don't you think that would've been good information to provide me with beforehand?"

"Maybe. I'm sorry you felt as if you were in any danger, but that will make our success even sweeter once everything goes off without a hitch."

Turning away from you, he walked towards the garden's back exit, which led away from the castle. He motioned for you to follow him. 

"Now come, I'll walk you home."

"Wait, what? That's all?"

Loki stopped, turning towards you to give you a sly grin.

"Would you like me to give you another task to do? I'm sure I have some robes that need to be cleaned."

Ignoring his playful taunt, you pressed onward. "I'm just surprised, is all. I thought your final prank might be a bit more complex than the rest."

"Oh, it is. However, I took care of it while you were dealing with Odin's feathered friends."

"What was it? What prank have you planned for Odin?"

"That's a Yuletide surprise even you can't know about yet, my dear," Loki said mischievously. " Anyways, do you want me to walk you home or not?"  


Seeing as how you hadn't spent much time with Loki today, you agreed, allowing the god to walk you home, wary as to what tomorrow would bring the whole way. 


End file.
